Urban Echo’s Top 8 Winter Reads

As winter approaches and the days slowly become shorter I can’t help but imagine myself by a fire after a long day of work and sitting down with a warm cup of tea and just enjoying a novel. So it got me thinking, what better way to start off the winter months than a list of my top 8 winter reads!

Starting off at #8: V for Vendetta: Alan Moore & David Lloyd

Ok, so not a novel, but still, and although this isn’t the most obvious choice for a winter read I feel like graphic novels are not appreciated enough as they should be, especially a classic like this!

It’s perfect for winter because it combines the story telling of a novel with the visual feast of a movie. Perfect for getting lost in after a long day of work.

#7:Dracula: Bram Stoker

Moving into the classics now, Dracula is one of the only novels I have read multiple times. It is also the only novel that really gave me a good scare!

This novel is perfect for winter because it really engulfs the reader. With thunder storms, rain, clouds and a whole lot of lightening it will really get you in the mood for winter!

#6: The Grapes of Wrath: John Steinbeck

Originally recommended to me by a good friend, I picked up this book and couldn’t put it down. It is an addictive read to say the least, with Steinbeck’s signature landscape forming the solid base for the whole novel.

Set in a hot, barren landscape, what better time to read this stunning novel about one man’s struggle to reclaim his life after him and his family are forced from their farm in Oklahoma. As my friend said “It’s the equivalent of a Sunday roast”

#5: Maps for Lost Lovers: Nadeem Aslam

This novel set in the unidentified English town of Dasht-e-Tanhai, is poetry. Each sentence elegant, raw and at the heart an honest telling of the story of two worlds merging into one.

It is perfect for winter because it moves through our own familiar cold setting, through seasons and towns, the imagery of spring and summer seeping from the pages.

#4: Harry Potter collection: J. K. Rowling

We all know Harry Potter. Whether we’ve seen the movies or followed the books in our earlier years, it has become a favourite to many.

It is perfect for winter because there is something very comforting and nostalgic about this collection. From the scenes in winter with the fires, warm foods and Christmas, to the scenes in the warmer months, this collection is the perfect winter read.

#3: Love in the Time of Cholera: Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I cannot say that this 348 page novel by Marquez is simply a work of fiction. He is a craftsman with language. An artist.

It is perfect for winter because it summons all the warmth of summer, with a backdrop of mango trees, parrots and warm summer suns, this novel will drive out the cold better than any heater can!

#2: Anna Karenina: Leo Tolstoy:

You guys must have known that Tolstoy was going to be somewhere on this list. An epic about love and obsession and the fine line that separates the two, Tolstoy brilliantly brings to life each character in this novel, set throughout Russia.

It is perfect for winter because, unlike others on the list, instead of take you away from winter, it really sets the tone. It is a stunning epic and I highly recommend the translation with intro and notes by Rosamund Barlett. I know that the size of the book will be intimidating, but it is so easy to lose hours lost in those pages.

#1: A Clockwork Orange: Anthony Burgess

A clockwork orange is a cult classic set in London. The moment I finished reading the book, I wanted to go right back and start over again.

Why is it perfect for winter? Well, I’d say it’s perfect for any season, but winter in particular because it’s a relatively short rad and it is brilliant to lose a cold afternoon or two stuck between the pages of what I would say is one of my favourite novels ever.

So! Now that I have compiled my list of 8 best winter reads I do hope you check some of them out, if not all of them. Happy reading!